Riot Games heeft via een statement op hun website aangegeven dat het 530 jobs schrapt. Daarmee ontslaat het zo’n 11% van zijn werknemers.
Dylan Jadeja, de CEO van Riot maakte meteen ook bekend dat het Riot Forge ook zal sluiten. Forge is de third-party uitgeverstak van Riot dat verschillende kleinere games in het League of Legends-universum uitgegeven heeft. Forge zal effectief de deuren sluiten eens Bandle Tale verschenen is, dit zal op 21 februari gebeuren.
De keuze om 530 medewerkers te laten gaan is er gekomen omdat er in 2019 heel wat nieuwe projecten opgestart waren binnen de studio. Daarmee veranderde de studio van een dat zich focuste op één game naar een studio dat plots verschillende games en projecten ontwikkelde. Nu blijkt dat Riot, volgens Jadeja, een studio is geworden zonder focus waar verschillende projecten en investeringen niet goed uitpakten. Hierdoor werden de kosten te groot waardoor er geen budget meer was om te experimenteren en innoveren, nefast voor een game ontwikkelaar, volgens Dylan Jadeja.
Om deze stijgende kosten tegen te gaan werden er de voorbij maanden vacaturestops ingevoerd en werden de budgetten voor verschillende projecten stevig ingeperkt.
Nu blijkt echter dat deze besparingen niet voldoende waren, met als resultaat dat 530 werknemers hun job zullen verliezen.
Maar Riot laat de getroffen werknemers niet zomaar vallen, het zal namelijk minstens 6 maanden loon blijven uitbetalen, bovenop een cash bonus dat gelijk staat aan hun individuele “Annual Performance Bonus”. Daarnaast zal het ook de medische verzekeringen blijven uitbetalen voor minstens 6 maand.
- Severance Pay — We’ll offer a minimum 6 months of salary, which includes notice period for all Rioters whose roles are going away, and more for those with longer tenure, in line with local laws.
- Cash Bonus — We’ll offer a cash bonus equal to 1x (100% of) everyone’s individual 2023 Annual Performance Bonus (APB) target, even if Rioters joined within the last year.
- Health Benefits — In locations where Riot provides healthcare, Rioters covered by our health benefits will continue to be covered through their last day of employment. In addition, they’ll be offered additional pay to cover their health benefits (medical, dental and vision), equal to the length of severance pay, and rounded up to the whole month.
- Play Fund, Wellness Fund, etc. — We know Rioters may have planned future expenses that would normally be covered by things like the Play Fund & Wellness Fund, so we’re offering an additional $1000 (or local equivalent) to cover these and other types of expenses.
- Equity — Rioters who have received Riot shares from vesting their single-vesting RSUs will get to keep them, subject to their terms and conditions. This also applies to other vested instruments (like options, or cash-settled SARs in certain jurisdictions such as China). In the event of a future buyback opportunity, we intend to allow these former Rioters to participate. Rioters who hold dual-vesting equity, who have satisfied the service-based vesting component at the time of exit, will be able to vest their equity in the event we have a qualifying liquidity event (like a change-in-control transaction) within the next 12 months.
- Computer — A laptop is an essential part of finding new work, so after returning their work computers, Rioters will have the option to request a laptop from IT if they don’t have one at home. They can keep their current peripherals like their headset, mouse, and keyboard.
- Career Support — Rioters will have immediate access to job placement services for 6 months including, career coaching, networking, resume writing and review, and more to help them transition to a new job.
- Rioter Assistance Program — Rioters will continue to have access to RAP 24/7 for three months after they leave Riot which includes trained counselors who can help with emotional, legal, and financial concerns. In addition, enhanced employee assistance programs (including mental health benefits) will be accessible in a number of locations worldwide. Our local HRBPs will provide information about these programs as available.
- Visa Support — We know this change will be particularly challenging for Rioters who hold visas as part of their employment with Riot. Each situation is unique, and we have dedicated support lined up for those who need it. This includes supporting transitions to non-employment visas where possible. Our Global Mobility team and outside immigration consultants will be in touch with impacted Rioters ASAP to discuss their individual situations.
- Riot Email Access — Rather than immediately cut off email access, which is more common in these moments, we will continue to provide access to impacted Rioters for a limited time after notification (this will vary by region). We want to make sure Rioters who are leaving us this week have a bit of time to identify and unwind any personal info or accounts that may be tied to their Riot email addresses.
Er zijn dit jaar, dat nog maar 23 dagen ver is, al meer dan 3.000 jobs in de games industrie verloren gegaan. Geen goed teken, want vorig jaar waren er in een volledig jaar ongeveer 10.000.
